The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial variety of Vaccinium hybrid (Southern Highbush Blueberry), which has been given the variety denomination of ‘Ridley 1111’. Its market class is that of a fruiting plant. ‘Ridley 1111’ is intended for use as fresh fruit for shipping, customer pick and processing markets and as a home garden plant.
The new Vaccinium hybrid cultivar is a selection resulting from seedlings produced in a breeding programme of Vaccinium at Lindendale, NSW, Australia in 2001 from open pollinated seed parent ‘C99-42’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,695). The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single plant within a population of plants of Vaccinium hybrids in 2003 in a commercial field plantation environment at Lindendale, New South Wales, Australia. Selection criteria was a combination of strong plant growth vigor, low chilling requirement, earliness of flowering and fruiting, firm fruit suited to handling, sweet berries and small picking scar. The selection was subsequently evaluated for a number of years at the commercial at Lindendale, New South Wales, Australia.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cutting propagation since 2003 at Lindendale, New South Wales, Australia and has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.
The new variety has been primarily compared to the variety ‘C99-42’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,695). In Lindendale, New South Wales, Australia the time of fruit ripening of ‘Ridley 1111’ is classified as ‘very early’ whereas the time of fruit ripening of ‘C99-42’ is classified as ‘early’. The earlier time of fruit ripening of ‘Ridley 1111’ allows for a greater period of production on farm and an ability to supply fresh fruit markets at an earlier date than ‘C99-42’. The time of beginning of flowering of ‘Ridley 1111’ is classified as ‘very early’ whereas the time of beginning of flowering of time of ‘C99-42’ is classified as ‘very early to early’. The leaf width of ‘Ridley 1111’ is ‘medium to broad’ (mean 31.3 mm) whereas the leaf width of ‘C99-42’ is ‘narrow to medium’ (mean 25.0 mm). The berry diameter of ‘Ridley 1111’ is medium to large (mean 17.3 mm) whereas the berry diameter of ‘C99-42’ is ‘medium’ (mean 15.5 mm). The berry shape of ‘Ridley 1111’ is oblate whereas the berry shape of ‘C99-42’ is a round. The berry calyx basin diameter of ‘Ridley 1111’ is medium to large (mean 6.8 mm) whereas the berry calyx basin diameter of ‘C99-42’ is ‘medium’ (mean 5.6 mm). The berry sweetness of ‘Ridley 1111’ is ‘medium to high’ whereas ‘C99-42’ is ‘low to medium’. This combination of vegetative and fruiting attributes results in ‘Ridley 1111’ being a desirable variety for very early season commercial production. See Table 1 for comparisons
‘Ridley 1111’ can also be compared to the variety ‘Jewel’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,807). The plant growth vigour of ‘Ridley 1111’ is ‘strong’ whereas the plant growth vigour of ‘Jewel’ is ‘medium to strong’. In Lindendale, New South Wales, Australia the time of fruit ripening of ‘Ridley 1111’ is classified as ‘very early’ whereas the time of fruit ripening of ‘Jewel’ is classified as ‘mid-season’. The time of beginning of flowering of ‘Ridley 1111’ is classified as ‘very early’ whereas the time of beginning of flowering of time of ‘Jewel’ is classified as ‘early to medium’. The size of the flower's corolla tube of ‘Ridley 1111’ is ‘medium to large’ whereas the size of corolla tube of ‘Jewel’ is ‘small to medium’. The berry shape of ‘Ridley 1111’ is oblate whereas the berry shape of ‘Jewel’ is a round. The berry calyx basin diameter of ‘Ridley 1111’ is medium to large (mean 6.8 mm) whereas the berry calyx basin diameter of ‘Jewel’ is ‘medium’ (mean 5.7 mm). The berry sweetness of ‘Ridley 1111’ is ‘medium to high’ whereas ‘Jewel’ is ‘medium’. The berry acidity of ‘Ridley 1111’ is ‘medium’ whereas ‘Jewel’ is ‘high’.
‘Ridley 1111’ can also be compared to the variety ‘Snowchaser’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,503). The plant growth vigour of ‘Ridley 1111’ is ‘strong’ whereas the plant growth vigour of ‘Snowchaser’ is ‘medium’. The leaf length of ‘Ridley 1111’ is ‘medium to long’ (mean 58.8 mm) whereas the leaf length of ‘Snowchaser’ is ‘long’ (mean 63.8 mm). The size of the flower's corolla tube of ‘Ridley 1111’ is ‘medium to large’ whereas the size of corolla tube of ‘Snowchaser’ is ‘medium’. The berry shape of ‘Ridley 1111’ is oblate whereas the berry shape of ‘Snowchaser’ is a round. The berry calyx basin depth of ‘Ridley 1111’ is ‘medium’ whereas the berry calyx basin depth of ‘Snowchaser’ is ‘shallow’.